The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Monday said that its decision to lease the historical state-owned Red House for just GYD$1000 monthly while in government to itself could be justified.
The revelation that the PPP government leased the building to itself was made during the recent budget debates by State Minister Joe Harmon.
In an invited comment on Monday, Party General Secretary Clement Rohee said he sees nothing wrong with the deal even after the party was accused of making payments to the staff of the privately operated business using state funds, even after the name change and transfer.
He refused to say if any aspects of Harmon’s disclosure were untrue.
“Anything we do could be justified. We are not known to be reckless people,” Rohee added.
He said the deal was agreed to by the persons who administered the affairs of Red House at the time.
Tens of millions of dollars was spent by the former PPP administration to renovate Red House which remained state property until 2012.
During that year a company was established by the name of the Cheddi Jagan Research Inc and the building was leased by the PPP to the company for 99 years for the GYD$1000 monthly.
The late Dr. Cheddi Jagan is the founder leader of the PPP and Red House has since been renamed the Cheddi Jagan Research Center.
According to the State Minister, the revelations surrounding Red House were aside from what the several ongoing state audits and inquiries are yet to reveal.
“This is not all but I will leave the rest to the state asset recovery unit to deal with the rest,” he warned.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login